Beginnings
by wildblueyonder6
Summary: The Winchester clan, John, Sam, Dean, Jamie and new guy. There's a new Winchester to add to the mix.  Parental spanking, please don't read if it offends.  I own nothing, except Jamie & the new kid but really I'm not so sure about that.


Title: Beginnings  
>Characters: The Winchester clan, John, Sam, Dean, Jamie and new guy.<br>Summary: There's a new Winchester to ad to the mix. Parental spanking, please don't read if it offends. I own nothing, except Jamie and really I'm not so sure about that.

**

Sam's son shows up on a Wednesday afternoon.

It's odd how such an ordinary day can bring such extraordinary circumstances, but Jamie is a Winchester and really he shouldn't be all that shocked.

To find he has a cousin, that Uncle Sam has a kid and that no one knew about it for 13 years? That's a little weird even for Winchesters.

But it's real and the kid is a Winchester, there's papers to prove it. Uncle Sam blushes, and runs a hand through his hair – he barely knew the kid's mom.

Her name is Sunshine.

Sunshine? _ Sunshine?_

How in the hell could a Winchester ever sleep with someone named Sunshine? But Sam had and Sunshine had gotten pregnant. In what turned out to be typical for her, she decided to have the kid on her own, but made sure that legally Sam was the father.

DNA testing proved it and so when Sunshine decided to leave on a trip across country sans kid, she made sure that he was delivered to Uncle Sam's door.

Jamie hadn't been there for the handoff but for all intents and purposes it had been strange to say the least.

So, now he has a roommate. A skinny kid with long blond hair and blue eyes.

"So, your name is River? As in Phoenix?"

The blue eyes narrow, "No, as in River."

Jamie shrugs, because honestly? If your mother's name is Sunshine than naming your kid River sounds about right.

"So, River…"it doesn't feel right or slide off his tongue.

The younger boy abruptly interrupts, "Riv is fine." He doesn't stop throwing his clothes into the dresser that Uncle Sam brought up from the basement, he doesn't look in Jamie's direction.

Jamie gets it. Sorta. The kid knows no one and has been dropped off like a sack of kittens. It's gotta be weird.

"So, did your mom say when she was coming back?"

"Sunshine never says when she's coming back."

"You call your mom, Sunshine?"

"It's her name isn't it?" Riv sounds impatient, throws the last of his clothes in a drawer and then himself on Jamie's extra bed.

Jamie sits opposite of Riv on his bed, trying to think of something to say to that one.

He's got nothing.

"So, where are you from?"

The blond haired boy doesn't look at Jamie, instead studies the ceiling.

"The last place was a commune in Alabama. Before that a bus in California."

"A bus?"

"Yeah, not a drivable bus, but one that just sat up to it's axels in dirt."

Jamie nods his head as if it's no biggie. Living in a commune or a bus. His father has taught him to be accepting of other people. As long as they aren't evil or supernatural, well, it's none of his business.

Besides, he's trying to be as cool as he can about the whole -new -cousin -who –lived- in –a-bus thing.

"So what do you do for kicks here?" It's the first time Riv turns to look at him and Jamie's not so sure he likes it. The kid's the same age as Jamie is but he seems older.

Jamie wonders if it's because he calls his mom by her given name.

If S_unshine_ can be called a given name.

Or if he's just more worldly.

Jamie snorts softly to himself. He's been around some – has spent a good amount of time in quite a few of the lower 48 but he's always been a protected. By his town and by his family and Winchester protection runs deep. It's strange Jamie figures, to be both a capable hunter and a person who's on a short leash much of the time.

He doesn't think about it too much, not most of the time, his family's protectiveness is hard-wired. Like the fact that terriers hunt rats and collies herd sheep.

It just plain is.

"Kicks huh? I uh, dunno. Town's pretty small. There's a pizza joint and a local movie house. It only shows one movie at a time, so it's kinda lame. The farm is cool. We have horses here and I can teach you to ride if you want."

Riv rolls his eyes and then shoves his longish hair behind his ear.

"Jesus, I've landed in the fucking Brady Bunch meets the Ponderosa." Riv continues on, "Listen kid, how about you go play with the ponies and leave me alone. Do you have a TV or something?"

Jamie grits his teeth so hard he thinks he might just crack a filling. He's trying to like this guy but a dick is a dick is a dick. Jamie lets his accent slide in deep and southern, "Yup, we got 'lectricity in all the rooms and an indoor plumbin' too,"

He throws the remote at Riv and gestures roughly to the little TV in his room, "At least I didn't live in a damn bus."

Jamie stalks out of his, _their _bedroom and stomps down the stairs.

XXX

Sam is flabbergasted and shocked. It has taken him a good portion of the morning just to come to grips with the fact that he has a kid.

Except for a lively exchange regarding Sam's virility and how it's good to see that Sam had gotten laid at least once in his life, Dean's been pretty cool about the whole thing.

His father not so much.

Which doesn't surprise Sam in the least. John Winchester was and is the condom king. Both he and Dean were subjected to _hours _of lecture regarding keeping it covered and STDs, AIDS and if the boys ever got someone pregnant they had better be prepared for the long haul.

Sam heard it all far earlier than most kids did, but Dad had blamed his horny eldest for that one. He couldn't very well ignore Dean's obvious blowing the sexual bell curve out of the water when he was thirteen. Christ, he was the age that Jamie is now, _that Riv is now_ and doesn't that scare Sam on a level he had never thought of before.

Sam takes a deep breath. In Dean's defense he wasn't actually having sex at thirteen but it had been close enough that their father had decided that the frequent and extensive use of condoms was going to be discussed at length.

Sam knew when he saw Sunny with the tow headed kid lagging behind her that he was his. Knew it like true north. The boy looked exactly like Sam had at that age. All coltish arms and legs with the promise of the man he will become. Except for the long blond hair. Riv could have been Sam's clone, right down to the sullen look.

Which Sam had so deserved to have.

Sam's not all that sure that Riv doesn't deserve it either. From Sunny's brief description of River and how they've been living, well the kid probably has a big old chip on his shoulder.

It makes Sam angry. Angry that Sunshine decided to keep Riv a secret and that she drug the boy on her nomadic quest for the perfect high. Be it religion or weed or communing with nature, the kid's been subjected to a lot. He's been dropped off with "Uncles"or left on his own far too much.

Sam snorts to himself.

There are some parallels.

Except that John Winchester always loved his boys and everything was done with that in mind. Even when Sam hated the man, he knew that his father loved him. With the way that Sunshine plopped River in the living room without a backward glance, Sam isn't so sure that her motives involve love.

Jamie rockets down the steps a scowl on his face.

"Hey, kiddo, what's up?" Sammy might be new to fatherhood but he's been an uncle for years. He knows Jamie like a book.

Jamie stops, stares hard at Sam. "Your son is a dick."

Sam furrows his brows together. It could very well be possible. Dickage runs through his family.

"Do you wanna talk about it?"

"No, I don't wanna talk about it. Dick pretty much sums the whole situation up. "

"Listen Jamie, I'm sure it's not easy for him, or for you. It's not easy for me and with Riv's mom just taking off, I'm not sure where we stand on this. Can you just please, try to give it a go until I figure something out?"

Jamie snorts, a decidedly disrespectful sound. "No, I can't."

Sam's not use to Jamie's blatant refusal to do something. The kid has never been shy about speaking his mind, but when asked, he's usually pretty easy going.

"What do you mean you can't?"

Jamie crosses his arms, legs arm width apart in an unconscious mimic of his grandfather.

"Okay, I won't. Simple."

Sam cards his hand through his hair, "Damn it, Jamie."

"Look Uncle Sam. He's your kid, your mess, you deal with him."

It's irritating but true. River is Sam's problem. Still, it's not like Jamie to get so riled up so fast or to be so damn mouthy. And although Sam is reeling from the morning, he doesn't need his nephew to be a dick as well as his son.

"Fine, I will take care of River, but don't forget who you are talking to Jamie. Just because your cousin doesn't understand about being a Winchester it doesn't mean that you don't. "

Sam leaves it at that. There's not really a threat hanging in his words but Jamie is smart enough to know that Sam won't be pushed.

Détente.

Sam stands and heads upstairs to talk to his son.

Sam knocks once on the door and tries to wait for an invitation because the uncomfortable feeling he's got going on has to be quadrupled for River.

If it had been Jamie holed up in his room, he might not have waited for the invite but with River, he's not so sure.

He taps again, tentative.

"Riv, can I come it?"

"Lemme alone, Sam."

"Look, I know you may not wanna talk but we've got to talk." Sam waits a beat, "I'm not used to talking to doors."

Sam hears his father at the base of the stairs. While he can't be sure the old man is listening, he probably is, he's got the ears of a bat.

"C'mon, River. This is hard for all of us…just hear me out."

He jiggles the door handle once, expecting a soft click as it opens, but instead he feels the tightened tumblers of a locked door.

Jamie wouldn't have even bothered. Locking out a Winchester who wants in just isn't going to happen. The door will open, either by pick or by kick. Sometimes the door disappears all together as Jamie once found out.

"_I warned you that if you slammed that door one more time, it was coming off the hinges." Jamie had pitched a fit over that one, but Dean hadn't backed down and Jamie was doorless for a week._

Sam doesn't think that he's remembered a slammed door by Jamie since.

"River, open the door." Sam tries to put a little parental authority in the order. It feels awkward though – he's not a father, he's an uncle.

There's the snick of the lock unlocking and then it opens. Sam is confronted by himself at thirteen. Except that no amount of pleading or howling would have ever gotten John Winchester to have let Sammy wear his hair _that_ long. It's shoulder length and puts a whole new spin on shaggy.

"Look, Sam. It's simple just leave me alone. I won't bug you – you don't bug me and when Sunshine gets her ass back here I'll leave."

"River, it may not be that easy, your mom…" Sam is met with a solid slam of a door to his face.

He tilts his head quizzically as his father steps up behind him on his way to his room.

"That went well," John Winchester has always had a way with words.

Sam shakes his head and watches his father's retreating form. "You know, Dad, you are not being helpful."

His father chuffs low, an indication of how helpful he would be if he chose to handle the situation his way but he doesn't say another word.

Sam leans against the door jam,

_Yup, Jamie is right, his kid is a dick._

XXX

Sam leaves the hallway and heads back down the stairs. He can smell dinner cooking so he heads into the kitchen to see if he can help Dean.

Wednesday night is Dean's cooking duty night. His brother has turned into quite the cook. He's always been good with making do but since Jamie came along, his big brother decided to branch out in cooking.

Sam usually looks forward to Wednesday night dinner. Tonight smells great, something Italian he figures. The homemade garlic bread alone would be worth the price of admission.

Dean is standing by a pot in the kitchen stirring some kind of marinara sauce that any Italian momma would be proud to call her own.

Dean turns quirks an eye in Sam's direction.

"So, how's River?" Damn this house is small. Everyone knows everything.

"Well Jamie hates him, I just got a door slammed in my face, and although Dad hasn't said it, I feel quite sure he thinks I should warm his ass on principle alone."

"And dad's suggestion? However subliminal it might be? What about that?"

"I'd rather not start my relationship with my son based on fear and recrimination,"

Dean nods, takes a taste of the sauce, then he smiles at Sam

"Always worked for us."

Sam snorts.

"So, can I give you a hand with something?" Sam ventures, nodding toward the dinner preparations.

Dean taps the counter twice and tips his head toward some freshly washed lettuce.

"Yeah, salad boy, toss some greens."

XXX

Sam figures that dinner might bring his son out of the bedroom. It sometimes worked with him, depending on how pissed he had been at his father. Sam can remember sitting in his bedroom while his father and brother ate in the kitchen or, if it were a one-room hotel room, Sam would steadfastly ignore the burgers wafting from the next bed with a bitchy look on his face.

Dad had never much cared if he ate or not. His philosophy on that was, _kid's too stupid to eat, let him starve. _Of course he had never said that, but Sam remembers the look John gave him when he was a kid and had decided that he was gonna stubbornly not eat dinner.

Which is why he wonders why his father keeps glancing up the steps. As if John Winchester's sheer will alone will bring River down to join his family for dinner. He obviously cares more about his new grandson's hunger than he ever did for his son's hunger pangs.

"Hey Dad, pass the pasta." Jamie half reaches across the table and then quickly pulls hand back as his grandfather smacks it sharply with his own hand.

"You asked you father to pass it. Don't be an ingrate and not wait for it."

Jamie tries to look wounded, "Gramps, that stung."

"Exactly." His father goes back to eating his salad without any more than a token glance at his grandson.

Sam smiles because the Winchester men are often lacking in the social graces but there are a few things that John has managed to drill into their thick skulls. Dinner manners and dinner time with the family is something he seems to relish, as if all of those years of heart attacks in a bag and meals on the road have taught him the meaning of family time.

Which might be one of the reasons he expects River at the table. Unless there are really pressing issues, the new an improved John Winchester wants his family around the kitchen table eating together. And he expects them to eat with some civility as well.

So Jamie sighs and waits for the pasta to come to him.

It is at dinner that Sam considers Jamie. And River too really. Jamie looks a lot like Dean, freckled with auburn hair so dark it looks almost black. Jamie is tall at thirteen, solid and muscular but there is just a bit of awkwardness that has cropped up in the past few months. It is as if his growing-tall-cells have quadrupled and his getting-heavy-cells haven't quite gotten the message. From the amount of food the boy puts away, he should be big as a house, but Jamie doesn't have an ounce of baby fat on him. It makes Sam wonder briefly what River looked like as a baby. Was he a tousled haired chubby little boy or did he always look skinny and undernourished?

Which, Sam hates to say, River looks like now. In his minds eye, he pictures Riv upstairs, his body all lanky and angled. Exactly like Sam at thirteen, except that Sam might have had a little more muscle mass, thanks to John Winchester and the training program from hell. But Sam had never looked sickly and although River doesn't either, he just seems to be just a little too pale and just this side of thin with a haggard expression that bothers Sam more than his lack of Winchester body mass.

Because needing a few good meals is one thing, needing a whole different outlook on life is another

XXX

Jamie finishes dinner with a grin and a belch that has all three of the other Winchester laughing. Even Gramps thinks it is pretty funny. His family can be so easy sometimes!

He cleans up with dinner grumbling a little bit about the fact that they don't have a dishwasher. Dad laughs, slaps his ass with a dishrag and tells him to hustle it up, that he wants to put coffee on and until the dinner dishes get done, there just isn't enough room.

So Jamie does. He hurries but makes sure he carefully washes the dishes and puts them in the drainer to dry. He'll put them away a little later.

It seems like a regular night at the Winchesters, except for the latest edition upstairs in their room, sulking like a little baby.

Jamie really can't be bothered trying to be nice to the kid anymore. When he told Uncle Sam that River was his responsibility, he meant it. The kid was a royal pain in the ass and it wasn't up to Jamie to change the stupid kid and his shitty attitude.

There is a brief pang of guilt as he thinks of Uncle Sam. His uncle has always been there for him. Interceded on his behalf. Helped him with school projects, Taught him how to research. Sam Winchester was and _is_ just about the best uncle a kid could have. All Sam has asked Jamie to do is to make some kind of effort to reach out to the kid.

Jamie sighs

_Fuck._

Jamie grabs a piece of the garlic bread, still warm and buttery, throws it on a plate and pours some iced tea in a tall tumbler then drops a bunch of ice cubes in for good measure.

He heads up to their room, feeling like a man-servant.

He better get some damn good karma after this one.

XXX

Jamie taps once and opens the door. It's his room and it feels kinda strange to need to ask permission to come in, but it seems kinda rude not to give River a warning too.

River is laying in the bed with earbuds in, long slender wires connected to an Ipod His feet are propped up against the baseboard of the bed and although he is horizontal, Jamie gets the impression that he is really not resting. Jamie's not sure if River ever really chills, outwardly the boy looks like he's relaxing but even Jamie can see the barely concealed tension.

It makes Jamie feel bad for the kid. Lord knows that Winchesters haven't cornered the market on downtime, but for all of the crap his family does and has done, Jamie has plenty of time to just be a kid. He gets the feeling that River maybe never felt that way.

River looks over at Jamie, offers a brief nod but other than that, doesn't pay much attention to him.

Jamie kicks River's bed. Hard. The boy pulls the ear buds from his ears and glares at Jamie. Jamie can hear the tinny sounds of some emo band through the Ipod's tinny speaker.

_Yup, definitely Sam's kid._

"Wanna eat?"

River looks like he doesn't. Looks like he'd rather rip his own throat out than eat. But the garlic bread smells as good as it tastes and there are very few hungry boys who could pass up his father's cooking.

"Got you some sweet tea too."

Jamie plops the bread and tea on the dresser and heads over to his own bed.

Riv looks hard at the peace offering and stands up, walks to the dresser and pushes the plate around a moment. It is as if he is making an executive decision.

"Thanks."

River grabs the plate and the bread and wolfs it down in record time. He swallows down half the tea and wipes his face with the back of his hand.

"You shoulda tried the pasta." Jamie states with a grin from his bed.

River smiles just a bit and then settles back on his bed.

XXX 

It's an uneasy truce between River and Jamie. Jamie tries not to rock the boat. River does his best to tip it over. Every time that River does something stupid or irritating, Jamie tries to deal. Because family is family and River being River, the kid has no concept of that at all

It has been difficult.

It was difficult when Jamie caught River smoking near the barn. _Put that out you moron, do you wanna burn the barn down! _River had complied with a scowl. Jamie then proceeded to inform River that smoking was dangerous, not only because it could kill him down the road, but also because Uncle Sam would kill him immediately. River hadn't cared or didn't seem to anyway, but the kid at least took his smoke breaks somewhere that Jamie didn't know about.

It was difficult when River just decided to leave at midnight for a walk. Or maybe it wasn't a walk but with River who really knew? Jamie thought it was more like a run, a run for the border actually. The kid was trying to creep out the window. Jamie slammed the window shut and told him to get his ass in bed. River had given Jamie an unrepentant stare and sat down in his bed mumbling about dictator cousins

Jamie was beginning to feel like a cop - no more like the safety patrol at school. Because although people usually paid attention to cops, no one much cared about the safety patrol. Lord knew any influence he had on River was lucky at best and appeared to be more about having to do with the fact that none of it seemed to matter all that much to the kid.

Nothing did.

River didn't care about getting caught or sneaking out or smoking. He just plain didn't care at all. It was a hard thing for Jamie to process, mainly because Jamie cared plenty. Oh, he got into all kinds of shit regularly but usually he at least considered the ramifications of his actions.

He had no choice but to consider them, being as how every one in his family was a firm believer in choices, actions and consequences.

To top off all of the stuff that Jamie has put up with in the past few days, there was also River's stupid music and his miserable attitude. Hell, even his crappy blonde hair was starting to get on Jamie's nerves. The kid looked like a reject from Seattle's grunge music days and Jamie never much cared for the Kurt Cobain look anyway.

But Friday comes around and for that Jamie is happy. He has managed not to kill his new cousin and he has had two full days in which to do it, so Lord knows there was plenty of time.

In fact, lately Jamie thinks a lot about the potential demise of his new cousin. Exactly what method would he use to do in the latest Winchester? Push him down the steps, rat poisoning in his crappy herbal tea he likes. It 's been amusing to think of some kind of farming accident – something that seemed innocuous but could so take the kid out. Tractor ride? Hay baler? Old-fashioned pitchfork?

He could so pull it off.

But Jamie has taken the high road and Riv is still alive.

Jamie is impressed with himself.

XXX

Sam watches as River and Jamie sit down to dinner. Friday is John Winchester's night. His father has gotten to be a better cook too, but he sticks with the meat and potatoes stuff.

Or chili. His dad can make awesome chili

Tonight that is the menu and Sam is glad. Spicy and Tex Mexy, the chili is great. There's homemade corn bread to go with and all in all it's probably one of Sam's favorite meals. He has even managed to convince the not easily convincible John Winchester that turkey chili is as good as beef chili.

Sam smiles to himself. Next is veggie chili – but Sam figures that his father is not quite ready for that yet.

He looks at River again, thankful the kid has at least decided to join the family for dinner.

River takes one bite of the chili and literally spits it across the kitchen table. It lands in a splattered mess in front of his father.

"What the fuck is in this shit!" River sputters and yells, slamming the bowl down as if it has personally offended him.

Sam dives for Riv but doesn't make it before his father does. Sam is routinely amazed at how fast John Winchester can move.

His father's voice is like broken glass as his hands pull his grandson up from the kitchen chair. He shakes River hard, like a terrier with a rat.

"You don't have to eat it, boy. But you better never spit food across the kitchen table again."

And dear God, if the boy doesn't eyeball his father. Steadfast and with a sneer on is face, River Winchester makes one of the stupidest decisions of his young life.

"Fuck. You."

There is momentary silence. Not a piece of silverware touches a plate. Sam would even swear that the damn cicadas outside stop their unwavering hum.

Sam looks at Dean. Dean looks at Jamie and Jamie probably looks the most horrified of all.

XXX

Jamie has been planning his cousin's death for two days, but he didn't expect the asshole would take himself out.

XXX

John Winchester roars. Literally, it is lion-like and everyone at the table who has frozen tries to scramble out of the way.

Except Sam. Sam tries to shift his body in between his son and his father, but there is no room and physically shoving one person away from the other seems like it might cause more harm than good.

"Dad – the kid doesn't know…" Sam begins, his voice soft and quiet, like he is gentling a cornered, and quite possibly rabid wolf.

"He will now."

John grabs pulls his grandson in tighter and then in a short choking motion that all of the boys are familiar with, he pulls his grandson from the kitchen into the living room.

Sam rakes a hand across his face.

He's only known River for two days. It hasn't even been a particularly nice two days. He searches his brother's face for some kind of reassurance, or at least sympathy. But the best that Dean can give is a slightly lopsided smile that really looks a lot more like he has gas.

By the time Sam follows his father and son into the living room the carnage has already begun.

XXX

Sam tries not to let his heart leap into the sight of his son upended over his father's lap. He has his jeans up and _Halleluiah thank God for little favors, _but the boy is getting is ass blistered well and proper.

Dad is smacking his grandson with all the momentum he can get, arm swinging with purpose. The sound of his father's big hand on denim is something Sam is up close and personal with but knowing his own boy is getting walloped is a little hard to swallow.

Poor River looks both angry and confused but the kid's obviously trying to be cool about his unusual position, as well as the fire that has to be really starting to build up on his ass.

"Dad," Sam begins, pulls himself up to his biggest most imposing height., "that's my son you're spanking the hell out of."

"You noticed huh?", his father doesn't slow his spanks down at all, in fact, it seems to Sam that he's picked up the pace.

"Dad, I got this. Really."

"No, Sammy. You don't. This one is my call not yours. You weren't just spit at across you own kitchen table by a thirteen year old brat, nor were you told 'Fuck you' by your own grandson. So no. Not your issue, it's my issue and children do not behave like that in front of or to _me_."

The entire time his father is speaking he is spanking. It is if one is completely independent of another. As if his father could write a book, or watch TV or hey hold a conversation with his grown son, while he licks his grandson. Which is obviously something he can and will do.

Sam hears a little moan from River. The kid is really trying not to cry but it's inevitable and if Sam could tell him that he would. Instead, River really starts to protest his treatment, kicking and yelling, four letter words rolling out of his mouth like a pissed off poltergeist. Sam is not sure if it is because his father and grandfather are casually discussing River's behavior while he is getting his ass pounded, or if the kid's shock level has worn off and he has decided he is gonna fight.

Again, if Sam thought trying to explain to River that fighting is stupid would help, then he might try, but at this stage in the game, it's not likely to make an impression.

Fighting John Winchester about anything at anytime is dicey. Fighting while you are ass up over his knee is just dumb.

He figures the kid will figure it out pretty quickly.

His dad pulls the squirming kid in, arm locked around him tighter than Fort Knox and revs up the hand to ass connection.

Sam feels like pacing or leaving or doing something but there is nothing he can do but watch as his son gets what is his first John Winchester spanking. Sam hopes it is his last. Hopes the kid remembers it, _how could he not _ because it just about breaks Sam's heart.

Finally he hears River start to cry. He's not fighting anymore but his father has decided that it isn't enough, that he wants to make sure that River knows exactly where he stands on this type of behavior. And truth be told, Sam knows his father doesn't like to spank his kids so when he does it, he makes sure that it is a worthwhile event. So the spanks come down fast and furious and River goes from crying to bawling.

Then his dad stops. He stills his hand and rests it on River's ass. He lets River cry and moves his hand to his back, offers a brief squeeze on his shoulders and then gently touches the boy's long sweaty hair.

"You need a haircut, kid." His father speaks soft and low with just a bit of humor in his voice.

Riv doesn't answer, doesn't do anything but try to stop the tears that won't stop.

Sam remembers this. The gentle way his father usually reacts after one of his boys just got their asses scorched. There were times he resented it, but most times he didn't. The lack of hand on ass was always a blessing, but more than that it was that his father forgave him and that the slate was clean.

"C'mon, son", his father helps River up and pulls him into a hug. River resists, his narrow body full of tension and anger. Sam gets that too because not every time did he want to be cuddled by his dad. But River doesn't pull away, doesn't fight the embrace, he just does nothing to encourage it either.

"Watch your mouth, River and don't forget that I'm your grandfather, not some punk ass kid on the street. Got it?"

The boy nods, blue eyes barely reaching his grandfather.

"Use your words, son, I don't wanna have to go through this again."

"Yes, I got it."

And John Winchester seems satisfied with that.

"Okay then, I'm off to get some caffeine." John nods his head to Sam as he pulls away from River and heads into the kitchen.

Sam is at a loss. How do you comfort your son who has just gotten the worst whipping of his life and truthfully probably the only one? But fatherhood is really not all that different from unclehood so he steps up to River and pulls the boy in close. The kid is trembling and once again Sam is struck with how thin the kid is. Sam doesn't know why but River starts crying again, deep wracking sobs that probably have nothing to do with the fire in his ass. He just leans into Sam and cries.

"Shhhhh. I gottcha kiddo"

And Sam does.

XXX

Jamie and his father wait in the kitchen for his grandfather to come back in. It doesn't take that long really, because spankings for Winchesters are not long drawn out affairs. They are fast and painful and over pretty quickly. Which is always good if you are the spankee. But despite that it feels like an eternity before Gramps comes back in the kitchen.

"Hand me the peas will ya?" His father reaches into the freezer and pulls out frozen peas. Gramps shake his right hand quickly, catching the peas as they are tossed across the kitchen.

"He's a Winchester alright. Ass is almost as hard as his head." Gramps mutters as he heads toward the coffee, right hand clutching the frozen peas. He pours his coffee left handed and then settles at the table.

Jamie's dad grins a bit. "Well, it is a Winchester trait alright. Is he okay?"

Gramps growls a bit. "Of course he's okay. Do you think I killed him?"

"Sounded like you might have."

Then affronted Gramps looks hard at his eldest. "Well I didn't. He won't be sitting easy for a few days and I doubt he'll talk to me like that again but he will survive."

Dad nods and Jamie does too. They have both been on the receiving end of John Winchester's hard right hand. It hurts, it's tough and Lord knows it ain't fun, but it is survivable.

"So what about Sam?"

Gramps looks at his father again. "Sam's okay. I probably should have kicked his ass too, might have if his boy wasn't such a hard nut to crack."

Jamie looks puzzled. "I get River, the kids been asking for it since he got here but Uncle Sam? Why are you mad with him?"

Gramps looks a bit tired when he answers Jamie. "'Cause River needs a daddy not an uncle and Sam needs to step up to the plate."

Jamie kind of gets that, but not really, because Uncle Sam has tanned his ass on more than one occasion so he's not so sure that parental displeasure is any different than uncle displeasure

Gramps seems to understand the expression on Jamie's face.

"Being a dad is more than just butt whippin's and candy bars, Jamie. It's about being responsible and making sure that your kid is responsible. Sam really needs to show River that he cares and that it matters. "

Jamie quirks an eyebrow at his grandfather. "That what matters?"

His father interrupts. "That all of this matters kid. Family, responsibility, our good name…"

Gramps laughs then deep and resonant. "Well, that is relative Dean."

His dad laughs too. "Yeah, I guess you are right."

Gramps eyeballs Jamie then. "But mostly, that _he matters. _ That boy is important to us, to his family and if him getting his ass warmed once in a while helps drive that home than so be it."

Gramps tosses the peas back to Jamie who promptly puts them in the freezer. No one likes peas much in their house, but there is always a frozen pack or two around.

Jamie now knows why.

XXX

Jamie heads up to bed. It's been a long day but he expects that River thinks it's been longer.

The door is closed and the brief knock he offers is even less then the token knock he has used in the past. His cousin is laying face down on the bed but facing the wall in a way that says he doesn't want company.

Jamie kinda gets that. He usually doesn't want to talk too much after his butt has been roasted by one of the Terrible Trio.

Jamie sits on his bed, toes off his sneakers then stands and drops his jeans on the floor. He pads to the dresser and pulls out cotton sleep pants, puts them on and then drags his shirt over his head.

It's too hot for a shirt tonight.

Bare chested and bare footed he sits down on his bed and looks over at River.

"Hey, Riv…are you okay?"

River doesn't turn toward Jamie but instead talks to the wall.

"I am most certainly NOT okay. Your grandfather beat the crap outa me."

Jamie waits a beat, "Yeah, he kinda did. He's known for kicking ass. And hey, what's all this 'your grandfather shit' he's your grandfather too."

Jamie lets that settle for a moment and River must let it sink in too because the blond haired boy turns toward Jamie and Jamie hears the brief hiss as his cousin's ass slides across the bed.

It hurts, Jamie knows it hurts.

Jamie would like to say he is sorry that River got his ass handed to him, but he's not and Jamie tries to be truthful when he can.

"It'll feel better tomorrow and in a day or so, you'll be fine."

"You sound like an old hand at this."

That makes Jamie laugh out loud. "Dude, who do you think the man got all of his practice on? He has worn me out more times than I care to admit and before that both your dad and my dad. There is nobody who can dole out an ass kicking like Gramps."

"You sound almost proud of the fact that that old man likes to beat on asses."

Jamie's quieter then and a serious expression crosses his face. "I don't think he ever _likes _to spank somebody's butt, but he sure isn't afraid to either. It's just his way, hell it's a Winchester thing. "

Jamie reaches for the light switch and the room darkens. The window is open and a light breeze comes in. All in all, it's a pretty quiet night.

Jamie glances at the open window and then at Riv.

"You aren't gonna try to run away again are you? I mean it's hotter than hell tonight and I'd rather keep that window open."

River seems to contemplate his cousin.

"Nah, I don't think so," then as an afterthought, "I think I'm giving up smoking too. "

Jamie laughs in the darkness. The kid might just make it.

end


End file.
